Device for spacing and supporting reinforcing-bars in concrete work.



L. N. LUKENS. I DEVICE'FOR SPACING AND SUPPORTING REINFORCING BARS INCONCRETE WORK.

APPLICATION FILED FEBLIG, I915. 1,9?

entree srarns LEWIS Ni LC'K'ENS, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. l

DEVICE FOR SPACING AND SUPPORTING REINFORGING-BARS- IN CON CRETE WORK.

PATENT OFFECEQ l Patented May is, 1915.

Application filed February 16,1915. Serial No. 8,495.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS N. LUKENS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Devices forSpacing and Supporting Reinforcing-Bars in Concrete Work, of which thefollowin is a full, clear, and exact description, reerence'being had tothe accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.-

My invention relates to reinforced concrete construction and moreespecially to de vices for supporting and spacing the reinforcing bars.Such devices, commonly known as spacers, are well known and those of thepreferred type comprise a bent wire structure having at opposite endseyes to receive the bars and legs for holding the eyes above the levelof the wooden centering used in forming the floor.

My improvement relates to spacers of this type, the object being toeffectually support the bars, to space them equidistantly, to insure themaintenance of the bars in their spaced relation, and to facilitate thepositioning of the bars. a

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in whichs Figure 1 is a perspective view showing floorconstruction comprising a number of reinforcing bars supported by myimproved devices. Fig. 2 is a perspective side view of one of thesupporting and spacing devices. Fig. 3 is a perspective end view of thesame.

Fig. 4 is a View, similar to Fig. 3, of a modification. I

The device comprises a single length of wire, which preferably possessessubstantial elasticity, and is bent to form'a main body portion orconnecting member 1), eyes a for the reception of the reinforcing barsor rods, and end supporting members d e for posi-- tioning the eyes asubstantial distance above the wooden centering a. The eye 0 is formedby bending the wire at the end of the memher 6 downward, around andupward and the supporting member at is formed by bond ing the wire atthe end of the eye downward and laterally to form a leg cl and thentransversely to form a foot 6.

As shown, the bend of the eye immediately adjacent to the supportingmember extends substantially above the level of the connecting member,so that the eye opens inward as well as upward; this feature beingaccentuated by bending the wire forming the eye successively downwardand outward and upward and inward.

While the supporting members at oppositeends of the spacer areduplicates, the leg (Z of one supporting member is at one side of themain body, while the leg d of the other supporting member 'is at theother side of the main body, eachleg being preferably inclined in anoutward as well as a lateral direction. By reason of its lateralinclinationthe lower end of each leg is located some distance tonne sideof the main body. The foot e extends transversely to the-other side ofthe main body. Thus the spacer is perfectly balanced and readilymaintains itself in operative position. As shown in Fig.

3 the foot may be perfectly straight; or it may be bent in an angulararch shape, as shown in Fig. 4.

The construction of the eye is such as to permit the reinforcing bars orthe rods f to be readily and expeditiously applied to the spacers. Whilethe bars are capable of yielding somewhat, which is a desirable feature,they tend always to assume their normal shape and thus eifectivelymaintain the bars or rod in uniformlyspaced relation.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for supporting and spacing bars in reinforced concreteconstruction, comprising a wire extending between its end portionshorizontally to form a connecting member, and beyond the end. of thelatter bent successively downward and upward to form a retaining eyeopening upward, and thence downward with a lateral inclination andlaterally in the opposite direction to form a supporting member.

:2. A device for supporting and spacing bars in reinforced concreteconstruction, comprising a wire extending between its end portionshorizontally to form a connecting member and beyond the end of thelatter bent downward below the level of the connecting member and thenceupward subi 2'1 stantially above the level of the connecting A devicefor supporting and'jspacing bars in reinforced concrete construction'necting nie nber b. te iform a retaining eye and thence downwev dwith alateral inclination to form a supporting leg and laterally in anopposite direction to form a supporting foot.

4. A device for supporting and spacing bars in reinforced concreteconstruction, comprising a wire extending between its end portionshorizontally to form a connecting member, and beyond the end of thelatter bent successively downward and upward to form a retaining eyeopening upward, and thence downward in a direction inclining bothLiterally and outwardly to form a supporting" leg and thence laterallyin the opposite direction. to form a supporting foot. 5.. A device forsupporting and spacing bars in reinforced concrete constructioncomprising extending between its end portions horiizontiiliy to form aconnecting member and beyond the end of the latter sucessively downwardand outward and upward and inward to above thelevel of the connectingmember to form a retaining eye, and thence bent successively downward ina laterally inclined direction and laterally in the opposite directionto form a supporting member.

6 A device for supporting and spacing bars in reinforced concreteconstruction, comprising wire extending between its end portionshorizontally. to form a connecting member and beyond the end of thelatter succes'sively downward and outward and upward and inward to abovethe level of the H connecting member to form a retaining, eye; andthence bent downward in a direction inclining both laterally andoutwardly to form a supporting leg and thence laterally in the oppositedirection to form a su'pportlng foot.

4. A device for supporting and spacing bars in reinforced concreteconstruction comprising a wire extending between. its end portionshorizontally to form a connecting member and beyond each end of thelatter bent successively to form an eye and a supporting leg, the twosupporting legs extending downward from the respective eyes in adirection inclining both laterally and outwardly end on respectivelyopposite sides of 55 the coiniecting member.

8. A device for supporting and spacing bars in reinforced concreteconstruction comprising a wire extending between its end portionshorizontally to form a connecting; men'iber and beyond each end of thelatter bent successively to form an eye and a sup porting member, onesupporting member tending downward and laterally on one side of theconnecting member and thence across to the other side and the othersupporting member extending downward and laterally on the last namedside of the connecting mem er and thence across to the first named side.

In testimony of which invention, 1 have hereunto set my hand, atPhiladelphia, on this 22nd day of January, 1915.

LEWIS N. LUKENS.

/Vitnesses M. M. HAMILTON, E. E. WALL.

